Daisies 1966

Directed by Vera Chytilova, 'Daisies' is an illustration of surrealist cinematography, which encapsulates a subtle sense of social critique, presenting the counterculture of the Czech New Wave movement, by presenting two female leads that elicit radical disobedience. The director herself referred to the two female leads with all their creativity and destructiveness, as “two sides of the same coin,” in an interview during the 2002 Prague on Film Festival in London. The film itself was banned, and director Chytilova was told she could not work until 1975.

"The overall effect is a dizzying kaleidoscope, as you can suddenly find yourself on a new set, as if by tilting your head" (BITTERNCOURT, 2012).

The constant fragmentation and alternation of the work, together with the visual intricacy of Kucera's camerawork, makes it extremely difficult to write about. Frequently, it can require a frame-by-frame analysis to determine precisely what is being projected onto the screen.

Chytilova's ultimate aim was to allow the spectator to derive their own meaning from the film, Rivette suggested that the two female protagonists are aspects of the same personality. Although this insightful interpretation offers an alternative view point, it holds no real relevance to the film itself. In the same way, there is no psychological link between the two, the only aspect of differentiation is the physical manifestation of each character.  

A pivotal scene is the first encounter within the girls room, which effectively illustrates an atmosphere of aimless boredom. We see the two characters are 'ready to be diverted by the slightest event' (HAMES, 2005). The conventional visual and aural sounds from the street, alludes to an unavoidable form of desolation which is unusually impactful.

Conversely, the scenes within the restaurant and nightclub are somewhat more straight forward to decipher, as opposed to those set in the confines of the room. The nightclub scene includes 'the films first set of coordinated effects' (HAMES, 2005). The use of filters in various exotic hues, corresponds to the ballet-like music and the incorporation of freeze frames, perfectly portray the fragmented rhythm. This particular technique offers a sense of time manipulation; what seems like an unceasing meal, is represented in a rather concise manner.

Reference List: 
HAMES, P. (2005) The Czechoslovak New Wave. Second Edition. London: Wallflower Press

BITTERNCOURT, E. (2012) 'Daisies'. Slant Magazine. [Online] (July) Available From: http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/daisies

RAPOLD, N. (2012) 'An Audience for Free Spirits in a Closed Society'. NYTimes. [Online] (June) Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/movies/daisies-from-the-czech-director-vera-chytilova-at-bam.html?_r=0